MIA

I am off to 6th grade science camp with my daughter, and won't be back blogging until Thursday.

Until then, my friends...

Happy Halloween!

A Really Good Flick

Jeff is out of town, so I stayed up late and watched this movie.

I was surprised how much I liked it. It was so uplifting and a great movie for the whole family. Check it out here.

Book of the Week

I have been asked what happened to the 'book of the week'. Well, my friend Jen, wrote a 500 page book, and I was lucky enough to do some editing for her. It took me over a month to get through it. (I think she will be famous someday!)

Anyway, here's a book for you. Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. This is an incredible story of a man who's ship goes down in the middle of the ocean, and he is stuck on a life boat with a tiger. I have never read anything like it. The end is a kicker. It really throws you and makes you want to go back and figure it all out again. Don't worry, I didn't give anything away.

I have heard from others that they thought the beginning was slow (I didn't think so). Stick it out - it's well worth it!

Happy reading!

Sugar cookies according to me.

Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to sugar cookies. Some like them crisp, some soft, thin, thick...etc.

I have tried many cookie recipes. I still like my mom's recipe the very best - yes, even better than Martha Stewart's.

Here's the recipe and then following, I will give you a few of my little secrets to make them even better. And of course I won't forget the frosting.

Mom's Sugar Cookies

Cream

• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Add

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract

Sift and add

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Chill and roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookies and bake 8-10 minutes at 375*.

Some tricks I use

• Cream the butter really well
• For a softer cookie I will add most of the sugar but substitute a little instant pudding. For example, I might add 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar and then 1/4 cup of pudding. ( I never measure - I just eyeball it) I use vanilla pudding, white chocolate (yum) and cheesecake (my favorite). If you add to much pudding the dough will become pasty. Don't worry, your cookies will still taste good just make a note of it and use less next time.

Frosting

• If you are going for taste, I always use cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. I have no idea what measurements. I am sure you can find a cream cheese recipe online. When frosting with this, don't be afraid to thin it out, or wet your knife to smooth it out. Consistency makes a big difference when frosting.
• If you are going for looks, use this royal icing recipe. 1 pound C&H (in the box) powdered sugar, 5 Tbl meringue powder, scant 1/2 cup water ( just shy of a 1/2 cup). Beat in mixer or hand mixer for 7 to 8 minutes. Scoop some in a bowl and color it. Then, a tsp at a time, add water until it just becomes runny. Fill a pastry bag with a #3 tip. Outline the cookie, then with zig zags, fill in the center. With a toothpick brush the frosting to fill in all the holes. If it doesn't smooth out, your frosting is to thick.

If this is just way to much to process, you can find great books on cookies that will give you better instructions and pictures. Or, you can buy your cookies from me. I sell cookies for special occasions, all wrapped and pretty!

Happy baking!!

Cookies

Here's what I did this weekend...

Today is a pretty good day. Here's why...

• I had parent teacher conferences last night. I sat for an hour and listened as each teacher told me how wonderful my child was. (Not a bad way to spend an evening) I am still feeling proud this morning.
  
  


• Jeff has been out of town this week and gets home tonight! Yeah!
  
  


• I have nowhere I absolutely have to go today. (rare) I could even hang out in my jammies all day if I wanted! (scandalous)
  
  


• My kids have 1/2 day and we are decorating sugar cookies all afternoon. (Yummy)
  
  


• I may or may not do laundry!
  

Ta Da!

This is my first cake I decorated for my class.
It's a far cry from what I want to do someday, but I guess you gotta start somewhere right?

Good Times

I love the desert in the fall. It means good times, hot dogs, skeet and good friends.

You gotta click on this picture of Becky to see the look on her face -funny.

Shilo looks like a pro!

Spooky Dried Apple Heads

My sister-in-law, Megan, told me about these funny dried apple heads. These would be great as a garland or just table decor. I haven't made them yet, but she said to use big apples cause they shrink a lot. The directions are here.

The Almost Perfect Visit

I took the kids to Showlow to visit Uncle Brent and family for fall break. We stayed at their beautiful home that Brent and April built - seriously beautiful.

We had a great time geocaching,(if you don't know what that is, click on the link) eating, talking, and relaxing. They are the perfect hosts and Uncle Brent is always up to something crazy- killing wild turkey's, banging in squirrel heads with a rock, bugling like the elk, and laser beaming the stars.

My kids love Uncle Redneck - ooops, I meant Uncle Brent.

Here we are checking out the "treasure" or geocache box.

It took forever to find. Brent finally found it on the side of the cliff.
Here's Nathan and Mason chatting on our treasure hunt.
It was a beautiful day for treasure hunting.
The leaves were changing on the Aspen trees. This picture doesn't do it justice.
Me and the kiddos.

Now you are probably asking why this was an "almost" perfect visit. It's because Jeff couldn't come with us. He had to work.
We missed you hon!

So Excited!

I am so excited because I just started my first class in Cake Decorating!

I'm a little overwhelmed at all there is to learn, but I'm loving it!

Hopefully I will be making beautiful cakes like this someday!

I'm also excited because I'm going out of town to visit my brother Brent in the mountains. I haven't seen their new baby for a while or new house - so we are taking a road trip.
I will be back on Monday!

PS. I got a camera today!!!!!!!!!

Obscene Christmas

Years back, we put together the "Lee Family Christmas Party" It is a tradition every year. What also has become a tradition is a visit from Santa.

When we started this, we had to come up with a Santa Suit. My sister-in-law, Wendi, donated an old Santa Suit her family had. It also came with a pair of black irrigation boots, which are meant to be folded down.

The first Christmas we used the suit, uncle David, (Santa) came bounding through the front door with the boot's pulled all the way up! We laughed sooooooo hard, and for some reason, that also has become a tradition.

Well last year, Santa stuffed his tummy with pillow's that happened to be a nice flesh color. What he didn't know was that his britches were coming apart.

Wallah! A Christmas to remember.

Splat!

What is it with pigeons and my arcadia door. This is the second time a bird has smacked into my window at full speed.

Do you think caution tape would help?

I've been so busy the last few days putting in my garden. What do you think?

Just kidding! I don't have a camera right now - I just wish it looked like that. Anyway, I will be back Monday, hopefully with a camera and lot's to blog about! Have a great weekend!

Tagged

I am sorry, but I really like my cousin Alice, and she tagged me. Here ya go!


5 Things I was doing 10 years ago...
1) Learning to be a mom
2) Running a lot
3)Teaching in Relief Society
4) Living on my own because Jeff was back east training as a special agent
5) Running a lot

5 Things on my "to-do" list today....
1) Clean my house (everyday)
2) Lot’s of laundry
3) Go to the plant nursery with Shilo and Becky
4) Plant my garden
5) Repot the plants on my back porch and stain the planters
6) Call the doctor
7) Take the kids to soccer
8) Try to find time to make dinner
9) Read to, kiss, tuck, get drinks of water, and put the kids to bed
(I guess I was only supposed to do 5, but there are just too many things to do today)

5 snacks I enjoy....
1) Chips and salsa
2) chips and salsa
3) trail mix
4) pears
5) If I was being really bad, dry cereal right from the box

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire...
1) Pay off my house
2) Help my family
3) Build a cabin
4) Service
5) Service

5 bad habits...
1) Not managing my insulin better
2) Staying up late
3) Worrying to much
4) Trying to please everyone
5) Being hard on myself

5 things I would never wear again
1) Half the clothes in my closet
2) Shoulder pads for sure
3) Jeans with the bottoms safety pinned (1980’s)
4) Blue eye shadow and pink shimmer lipstick
5) Claw bangs

5 of my favorite toys....
1) My computer
2) My bike
3, 4, and 5) I am pathetic and can’t think of anything else. I so need to get out and have more fun!

5 people I tag.... (sorry if you've done this before)
1) Laurel
2) Brittany
3) Meredith
4) Eldon
5) Monique

Life Without A Camera

I am lost. I can't blog. I don't get excited about things I am doing. I am camera-less.

I borrowed my 11 year olds camera to take pictures of my sons birthday party, but now she can't remember where she put the cords so I can't download them.

I feel like a part of me has died --- Okay, that is a little dramatic! I just need to suck it up and go drop a few hundred dollars to buy a new one.

In the meantime, you will just have to look at pictures that I didn't take.
I love this one.

The Best Ever

I thought I would start off the week with my all time favorite "Fruit Salad" recipe. I laugh when I say fruit salad, because this is like dessert.

The next time you have people over, or have to bring a "salad" promise me you will try this!

Fruit & Cookie Salad

2 small packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups buttermilk
16 oz. coolwhip
3 cans Mandarin oranges (chilled)
2 regular cans pineapple tidbits (chilled)
1 pkg Fudge Stripe cookies crushed in your hands (this is the key ingredient)
Strawberries (optional)

In a bowl, mix buttermilk and pudding together. Add Coolwhip, fruit, and crushed cookies. Garnish with Strawberries. I put this in a trifle dish and put a layer of strawberries in the middle and on top - very yummy looking. Also, I drain the fruit before I add it, but I leave a little in the can.